


Four Stories Rodney Told John About Teyla

by Lydia (lydiabell)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-18
Updated: 2008-03-18
Packaged: 2017-10-02 06:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydiabell/pseuds/Lydia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Other ways it could have happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Stories Rodney Told John About Teyla

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for 4x20, "The Last Man".

ONE

"We kept searching for Teyla, but we just didn't have the resources to cover enough ground. Still, we looked for almost two years. Every lead we got on Michael's whereabouts, no matter how tenuous, we followed."

_Another abandoned building, another empty room. Rodney looked bereft, and even Ronon's shoulders slumped._

"We would hear stories sometimes."

_In a tavern on a ravaged world, the remnants of SGA-1 listened intently as a pair of travelers spoke._

"Some people believed that Michael turned her into one of his hybrids. Others said that he wanted to make her his queen." Rodney scoffed. "He had some kind of weird fixation on her, I know, but she would have died before she let that happen." He looked down at his hands. "She probably did. But we never found out."

John was furious. "And you just left her out there?"

"In the end, the IOA came in and put a stop to all offworld missions."

_Rodney stood in Teyla's quarters, an empty cardboard box hanging from one hand. He looked around, taking in the sight of all the personal touches with which she had made her living space her own -- the candles, the pottery, the bedclothes. _

On the dresser next to the door lay a smooth, carved wooden animal of some sort, and a tiny gown. Rodney picked up the gown and bowed his head before gently placing it in the box.

John's face twisted with emotion. All he said was, "I should have been there."

"And you will be."

* * *

TWO

"We kept searching for Teyla, but we just didn't have the resources to cover enough ground. Then one day, we were contacted by a hive ship."

_The Wraith's announcement caused a bit of a stir in the gateroom. "Wait," Rodney said. "Prove it."_

The Wraith turned slightly to face Rodney. It was a male -- not a drone, but one of the more advanced ones. "You made me tea on the anniversary of my father's passing," he said. "You gave me a recording to play for my child."

Sam looked at Rodney, who nodded, wide-eyed. "Where are you?" she asked.

"I do not know. This Hive ship only recently came close enough for me to be able to contact the minds of its crew."

"Rodney, can you ..."

"... trace the signal, I'm on it," Rodney replied, already seated and typing at a console.

The Wraith on the display screen grimaced. "Rodney, hurry," he said. "There are others coming."

"I've got it! Is there a jumper ready? I'll send it the coordinates directly ... " he looked up to see the Wraith draw a large knife. "Teyla!"

Four more Wraith entered the room, shouting words they couldn't understand. The one on the screen struggled, his head shaking back and forth. Finally, with an anguished cry, he slit his own throat.

One of the other Wraith looked directly at them and uttered something that sounded like a command. The screen went black.

"We knew where Michael was holding Teyla, and we could only hope that she'd kept the Wraith from finding out. But by the time we got there, it was too late."

_Ronon entered the room first, his gun at the ready, but there was nobody left alive to challenge him. A body lay on a table in the middle of the room, covered by a blanket. Lorne lifted a corner of the blanket, then looked up at Rodney and Ronon. His expression told them what they needed to know. Ronon turned and walked out the door. Rodney stood, stricken, as Lorne carefully re-covered the body._

John's face twisted. "Michael killed her."

"No. Jennifer examined her, and said that between the strain of controlling the Wraith and then the birth, it was just too much for her."

* * *

THREE

"We kept searching for Teyla, but we just didn't have the resources to cover enough ground. It took us almost two months before we finally found her in one of Michael's hideouts."

_Ronon entered the room first, his gun at the ready, but there was nobody left to shoot back. There was only the lone, unmoving figure on the floor. He moved to Teyla's side and checked her pulse, then quickly gathered her into his arms. "She's still alive."_

"He'd left her for dead -- I think we must have surprised him, made him leave in a hurry. He took the baby. We brought Teyla back to Atlantis, but she didn't stay long. As soon as she recovered, she wanted to be with what was left of her people."

_Teyla stepped through the gate without looking back, and the wormhole closed behind her. Rodney, Ronon, Sam, and Jennifer stood looking at each other for a moment, then slowly wandered off one by one._

"We never found Michael or the baby. We kept looking, of course -- every lead we got, no matter how tenuous, we followed. And we weren't the only ones after him."

_Five people crouched outside of a building. They wore ragtag clothes, but carried Genii rifles._

"Not long afterward, we started hearing stories of a woman leading a strike force against Michael's hybrids."

_The team leader, a small woman with long hair, entered the building. On her waved signal, the rest followed._

Rodney smiled fondly. "I know it could have been anyone, but I like to think it was her."

* * *

FOUR

"We kept searching for Teyla, but we just didn't have the resources to cover enough ground. Then one day, a woman came through the gate at the alpha site."

_She walked through with her hands already over her head, as if she expected the armed guards who immediately confronted her. In one hand, she held a piece of paper. Moving slowly, she handed it to one of the Marines._

Back on Atlantis, Sam read the letter to Rodney and Ronon in her office.

>   
> I have escaped from Michael, and I have taken my son from him. This is difficult for me to say, but please do not try to find us. I fear that such an attempt would draw attention to us that we cannot afford.
> 
> However, you should be aware that Michael took blood and other samples from Torren before I was able to get him away. I believe that he got the information he needed. In case he did not, I will do whatever is necessary to keep Torren from him.
> 
> My people -- those who remain -- do not wish me to continue as their leader. They blame me for allying with Atlantis, for the experiment that produced Michael, for not looking harder and finding them sooner. Perhaps I do as well.
> 
> Teyla Emmagan, late of Athos and of Atlantis

**Author's Note:**

> I know there were constraints as far as how much Rachel Luttrell could be in 4x20, but I still think Teyla's part of the story could have been written in a more, I don't know, respectful way.


End file.
